The Blacklist star Megan Boone will no longer use assault rifles as Elizabeth Keen
Boone made this statement in a post on Twitter Friday, apologizing for “glorifying” them in the past on the NBC series. Boone plays an FBI agent on the series, and in terms of logic alone this is not going to be a creative issue. The majority of FBI agents in the field carry with them a hand gun or the equivalent. As Boone herself said in an accompanying message, she is not a part of a SWAT team or some other unit that would carry them.
Do we think that she herself has “glorified” using assault rifles on the series? Not necessarily, but the implication is nonetheless clear. Her post is a commentary on the rampant use of these guns across entertainment, which in turn could put them in the forefront of the minds of some viewers. There does need to be separation from a fictional world and reality and there has long been a debate on if art influences life, but you also do not need to go so far within said fictional world to present something aggressively violent unless it’s necessary to a story you want to tell. This is what Megan is commenting on here. There’s no reason for Liz to carry an assault rifle; she’s already shown herself to be ruthless in so many other ways that she shouldn’t need to rely on something like that in order to do her job or get revenge.
Sometimes speaking out is about doing the little things. The Blacklist is a violent show; heck, earlier this season we saw Liz murder someone only to then dissolve their bones using chemicals. This vow by Boone isn’t changing the structure or nature of the show itself. That’s the world these characters live in. Moving away from assault rifles is something small that she can do in order to reduce their presence on-screen and we applaud her for it. She’s taking a stand — it’s not the first time she has done this within the context of The Blacklist. She is using her celebrity status in order to try and enact change.
The Blacklist will return to NBC with new episodes on Wednesday night, following the end of the Olympics. You can preview the next installment now by heading over to the link here.
What do you think about Megan Boone taking such a stand against gun violence? Be sure to share your thoughts on the subject right now in the comments!
(Photo: NBC.)